Iran will not accept any diplomatic agreement with Washington unless it guarantees that the rights of the Iranian people are fully secured, Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf announced on Sunday.
"There is no trust in the enemy’s words and promises," Qalibaf stated during a virtual parliamentary session, speaking shortly after taking the oath for his re-election as speaker. "Our only criterion is to achieve tangible results before we fulfill our commitments in return."
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East spiked dramatically following military strikes launched by the US and Israel against Iran in late February. Tehran retaliated by targeting Israel and US allies in the Gulf, alongside temporarily closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz—a crucial maritime chokepoint for global oil transit.
While a Pakistani-mediated ceasefire halted active hostilities on April 8, subsequent high-level talks in Islamabad failed to establish a comprehensive framework for permanent peace. US President Donald Trump later extended the temporary truce indefinitely to prevent a relapse into active warfare.
According to state broadcaster IRIB, Iranian and American officials have maintained an active back-and-forth channel, exchanging proposals and counterproposals in an effort to resume direct bilateral talks and permanently conclude the conflict.
